counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
And Joshua made peace with
them, and made a league with
them, to let them live: and the
princes of the congregation sware
unto them (Joshua 9:14,15).
The deceit of the Gibeonites
worked because Joshua and the
leaders of the tribes did not take
time to seek the Lord’s direction
and advice. They went by what they
saw and heard from the Gibeonites
instead of letting God reveal the
truth to them, and they made an
agreement with the enemy. If the
Israelites had sought the Lord for His
direction, God would have uncovered
the Gibeonites’ scheme.
Three days later, Joshua and the
Israelites came upon the Gibeonites’
great, royal city; and they realized
they had been deceived. They wanted
to destroy that city, but they had
already made an oath before God that
they would not harm the Gibeonite
people; and they knew they couldn’t
go back on their oath, or they would
face the wrath of God.
Keep Your Promises to God
But all the princes of the
Israelites said unto all the
congregation, We have sworn
unto them by the LORD God of
Israel: now therefore we may not
touch them. This we will do to
them; we will even let them live,
lest wrath be upon us, because
of the oath which we sware
unto them. And the princes said
unto them, Let them live; but
let them be hewers of wood and
drawers of water unto all the
congregation; as the princes had
promised them (Joshua 9:19–21).
So the Gibeonites became wood
cutters and drawers of water for all
the congregation of the Israelites.
Many years later, King Saul
decided to break the oath Israel had
made with the Gibeonites; and he
had Israel kill them, so God brought
a famine upon the Children of Israel.
Then there was a famine in the
days of David three years, year
after year; and David enquired
of the LORD. And the LORD
answered, It is for Saul, and for
his bloody house, because he
slew the Gibeonites (II Samuel
21:1). If you make a promise before
God, you need to keep it no matter
how much time passes; or you will
eventually suffer the consequences of
breaking that oath.
As children of God, we need to
seek God’s direction when we are
faced with a decision, whether it is a
big one or a small one. The Bible says,
Trust in the LORD with all thine
heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5,6).
Joshua and the princes of the
congregation were only looking at
what they could see and leaning to
their own understanding, but God
knows all; and He sees all in every
situation in your life. If they would
have sought God for His wisdom and
advice, He would have directed their
paths and uncovered the deception of
the enemy.
SEEK
On a Mission for God
The Bible tells of a man of God
who had been given the Lord’s divine
direction, but he let a complete
stranger influence him to disobey
God. The Lord had instructed the man
of God to go before King Jeroboam
to speak judgment against the altar
in Bethel because Jeroboam had
sinned against God. He had set up
two golden calves—one in Bethel
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